AG says Connecticut's tribal casinos will be smoke-free

Friday

Feb 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 29, 2008 at 1:12 AM

Connecticut's two tribal casinos will be smoke-free, one way or another, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal vowed this morning during a press conference introducing a bill that wants to ban smoking in casino areas where the state's liquor laws apply.

Erica Jacobson

Connecticut's two tribal casinos will be smoke-free, one way or another, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal vowed this morning during a press conference introducing a bill that wants to ban smoking in casino areas where the state's liquor laws apply.

"This is historic in its scope, and you're going to make history at the casinos," he told a group of Foxwoods Resort Casino workers standing behind him clad in yellow United Auto Workers "Union Yes" T-shirts. "As sure as I am standing here, the casinos will be smoke-free."

The gathering opened a day of hearings by the Public Health Committee in Hartford. Last item on its list is Senate Bill 419, which calls for an end to smoking in all areas of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun governed by Connecticut's liquor laws.

The UAW, which held a successful union vote amongst Foxwoods dealers in November but has yet to have the vote certified by the National Labor Relations Board, says the secondhand smoke situation in casinos is hazardous to workers as well as visitors. Both the Mashantucket Pequots, owners of Foxwoods, and the Mohegans say maintaining proper air quality in the casinos has draw the attention and spending of tribal government.

Connecticut's bars, restaurants and taverns have been smoke-free since at least 2004. Senate Bill 419 was described this morning by a Yale clinical law professor as a way to close the casinos' loophole.

"The state of Connecticut indisputibly has the right to regulate smoke in the casinos," Michael Wishnic said. "This one isn't close."

But a spokesman for the Mohegan Tribe disputed that assertion, saying that his tribe's sovereign government moved to make Mohegan Sun about 75-percent smoke-free in advance of the state's smoking bans. Chuck Bunnell said welcome Blumenthal's offer of discussion and possible agreement outside of litigation on the matter.

"The attorney general suggested that, through dialog, we could sit down and addres this issue," he said. "I know that that is something the Mohegan Tribal Council is open to."

A representative for the Mashantuckets was not immediately available for comment.

This afternoon's hearing will bring testimony from such witnesses as casino employees, tribal representatives, members of other smoking-ban advocate groups as well as a Maryland-based secondhand smoke consultant who says a recently completed analysis of air quality inside the casinos shows particulate levels several times greater than that of the state's outside air samples.